The National Wildlife Federation is offering two grant opportunities for HISD schools. Applications are due Monday, June 15.
One grant focuses on secondary schools interested in developing nature-based solutions to community stormwater runoff or flooding. The second is open to all grade levels and emphases energy literacy.
Energy and Sustainability Quality Assurance Analyst Stephanie Walker said schools should apply despite the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
Continue readingThe Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center located at 4400 W. 18th St. will close Monday, June 8 at 1 p.m. due to a confirmed case of the COVID-19 virus.
The closure will allow time for the support facility to undergo a deep cleaning and sanitization before re-opening for regular business hours on Tuesday, June 9.
Though few employees have been in the office, those who were impacted are being notified and instructed to self-quarantine in accordance with public health guidelines.
Continue readingSix curbside summer meals sites and all Fresh Bus produce delivery stops have been canceled for Thursday, June 4, following a confirmed case of the COVID-19 virus.
The six summer meals sites closed on Thursday include Bastian, Foster, Shearn, Thompson, and Whidby, and R. P. Harris elementary schools. All other scheduled summer meals sites will remain open.
The temporary closure will allow for deep cleaning and sanitization of affected schools and district facilities. Fresh Bus produce delivery and the curbside summer meals site at R. P. Harris Elementary School are expected to resume normal operations on Monday, June 8. The remaining five school sites are expected to reopen Thursday, June 18.
Continue readingThe Houston Independent School District has added six school sites to its curbside Summer Meals program, which launched Monday, June 1.
New locations include:
The Fresh Bus produce delivery program is announcing new community stops to better serve students and families.
The new stops will be located at apartment complexes that surround the 68 participating schools and have high student populations. Families can go direct to their closest pick-up site. No survey or registration is required.
All students enrolled at the 68 participating schools are eligible. A complete list of schools is available at HoustonISD.org/FreshBus.
Continue readingThe new Austin High School is now scheduled to open in January 2021 — a delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The school was originally scheduled to open in August 2020. HISD Construction Services Officer Derrick Sanders said the new timeline was due to a three-month delay in the school’s furniture shipment and manpower shortages caused by mandated social distancing requirements resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Austin will remain at its current temporary learning center located across South Lockwood Drive until the new facility opens.
Continue readingAs the school year wraps up, the Houston Independent School District is revving up its nutrition outreach efforts with the launch of curbside summer meals for students and the Fresh Bus produce delivery program.
The programs come on the heels of the district’s successful community food distribution initiative, which ran for nine weeks following HISD’s closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Coordinated by HISD in partnership with the Houston Food Bank, the program, provided nearly 7 million pounds of food to more than 160,000 families during that time.
“When everything around us was shutting down due to the pandemic, it became essential for us to be there for our students and their families,” HISD Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan said. “I’m proud of the hard work and dedication that went into this effort. Remarkably, we were able to impact so many families.”
The district is aiming to build upon that success with the launch if it’s annual and state-mandated summer meals program, which begins June 1. Families will be able to pick up packaged student meals twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays at one of 71 designated schools across the district. Families will receive several days’ worth of food per child.
HISD Curbside Summer Meals
Next week school buses will roll once again, but for a special reason — they will be delivering fresh produce to students at 68 select elementary campuses as a part of a new produce delivery program.
Fresh Bus school buses will provide weekly deliveries of fresh fruits and vegetables to several locations in each school community, making fresh produce directly available to more than 36,000 students.
Continue readingAs the school year comes to a close, the Houston Independent School District is transitioning from its community food distribution efforts to a curbside summer meals program for students.
Beginning June 1, families will be able to pick up boxed student meals twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays at one of 68 designated schools across the district. Boxes may be picked up by students, parents, or other adult family members.
Each box will contain a day’s worth of meals, including breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a snack. Families will receive several days’ worth of food — three boxes on Mondays and four on Thursdays — per child at each pickup.
Continue readingFood distribution efforts led by the Houston Independent School District in partnership with the Houston Food Bank will continue Saturday at NRG Stadium and throughout next week at 25 campuses around the district.
Saturday’s event at NRG is the fourth mass community food distribution. The site is expected to distribute 8,500 food packages. The site will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
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